Fatal Stabbing Leaves a Neighborhood in Fear : Crime: Body of victim, a quiet homemaker of 59, is found in her home. There were no signs of forced entry and police have no suspects or motive.

A neighborhood was shaken Wednesday by the slaying of Midori Oguma, a quiet, 59-year-old homemaker found stabbed inside her home.

A stepdaughter found Oguma’s body on the family room floor about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Police Capt. Tom Lazar said. Police found no weapons or signs of forced entry, he said.

“We don’t have a motive,” Lazar said, adding little to an otherwise puzzling slaying that has stirred fear among residents in the 3100 block of Bermuda Drive.

“It’s frightening,” said Christine DeSandre, 21, a college student who lives next door.

DeSandre said she came home late Tuesday night and became alarmed after she noticed numerous police cars near her home.

“The detectives came to our house and asked us questions about the family. We didn’t know much about them. They were very quiet,” DeSandre said. “But the police wouldn’t say much about how she died.”

Neighbors said the family, including Yasuo Oguma, 54, who operates a landscaping business, and a stepdaughter, Janet, 22, kept to themselves.

“The only time we saw her was when she and her husband were outside gardening. They were very quiet neighbors,” said Joe Feenstra, 68, who lived across the street.

Ronald C. Paulson said the family had rented the home from him for 2 1/2 years.

“She was a very nice lady,” Paulson said.

On Wednesday, police returned to the home and continued collecting evidence, Lazar said.

“There was no forced entry, so as for burglary, you have to rule that out,” Lazar said. “Really, it’s a real mystery at this point.”

However, based on preliminary interviews with family members, Lazar said the woman’s death does not appear to have involved a family dispute.

“There’s no evidence showing there is anything going on in the family at this point,” he said.

After news of Oguma’s death spread, residents began asking each other if they had seen strangers or unfamiliar cars on their street Tuesday.

“I work out of my house, and so do two other neighbors across the street,” said Ricki Smith, a mortgage broker who lives next to the Ogumas. “My son and I were in and out of our house all day long on Tuesday. Even the postman came by. But no one saw anything or heard screams or anything. It’s frightening.”

Smith said her daughters, ages 9 and 17, were “really nervous Tuesday night.”

“They each took one of our dogs to bed with them for protection,” Smith said.